This invention refers to an escapement for a timepiece, especially to a high efficiency escapement.
The escapement of a watch has the purpose of transmitting the energy of the gear train, i.e. of the mainspring (motor spring) to the balance which acts as a rate regulator. It is known in the traditional watch-making technique that the accuracy of the rate of a timepiece and specially the sensitivity against external disturbances are correlated to the stored energy of the system spring balance. This energy depends on many factors, for instance on the efficiency of the gear train, on the efficiency of the escapement and on the quality of the oscillator itself. It is important to know that the total efficiency of the escapement can be divided in both an efficiency escape wheel-pallets and pallets-balance.
Generally it can be admitted that in timepiece movements of modern design the efficiency of the gear train is more or less optimalized.
This is also true for the efficiency of the pallets-balance, because at the joint fork -- roller-pin the impulse is given in direction of the movement. The efficiency of the oscillator himself can also be considered as good.
This is not the same with the efficiency of the escape wheel-pallets, so that working on its improvement amounts to an increase of the quality of the rate of the watch.